Not even a week had passed when Madras High Court set aside the detention of whistle-blower turned popular YouTuber ‘Savukku’ Shankar under the Goondas Act, but the Tamil Nadu government has once again invoked the same against him, now in a ganja case.
The District Collector of Theni, RV Shajeevana passed the order to detain ‘Savukku’ Shankar @ A Shankar, late on Monday on the recommendation of the Police Superintendent R Siva Prasad in a ganja case. With Shankar transferred to the Madurai Central prison from the Puzhala prison in Chennai, the detention order was handed over to the jail authorities.
On August 9, a Division bench of Justices SM Subramaniam and V Sivagnanam, which set aside his detention under the Goondas Act, said “Media persons and YouTubers cannot be strangulated, and if done so, it may pull the societyback to the colonial era. Coming down heavily on the prosecution, the Judges observed: “prosecuting the accused, holding trial and getting him convicted should be the focus rather than invoking a draconian law.”
Following his arrest by the Coimbatore police on May 4, in a case pertaining to derogatory remarks made against women police personnel in an interview, another case was registered after seizure of ganja from his room at Palanichettipatti in Theni district. His car driver and three other associates were also booked in the case.
The Bench came down heavily on the use of preventive detention observing, ‘prosecuting the accused, holding trial and getting him convicted should be the focus rather than invoking a draconian law’ of the colonial era.
Last month, he was granted bail in the case by the special court for NDPS in Madurai. The YouTuber also secured bail in the former case, shortly after Madras High Court quashed his detention under the Goondas Act on a Habeas Corpus Petition filed by his mother. But, he is facing multiple cases filed by the police across the state.
Earlier yesterday (Monday), a court in Sivaganga granted Shankar bail in a case relating to making malicious comments about women police personnel. Speaking to reporters after being produced in the court, he alleged that he would not be released from incarceration till the completion of the Formula Car race, a pet project of Chief Minister’s son and Sports Minister, Udhayanidhi Stalin. The race is scheduled for the month end.
Invoking the Goondas Act yet again on the YouTuber had invited the condemnation of Congress MP, Karti P Chidambaram, who termed it as a ‘flagrant overkill’ and ‘unacceptable’. Tagging the TN police in an ‘X’ post, he made it clear the High Court might overturn this as well. The outspoken Sivaganga MP, said “@savukku’s comments can be below the belt & distatsteful. He often indulges in hyperbole & sensationalism. But to book him under #Goondas again is a flagrant overkill & is unacceptable. Another judicial overturn will happen.”